Page 2 | How would you pronounce Maya

acrossthebay · 2024-07-28T11:02:27+00:00

Out of interest? I like the name but hear variations in pronunciation.

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PerkyMintDeer · 28/07/2024 22:23

acrossthebay · 28/07/2024 13:08

Are you sure they weren’t just from Birmingham or that neck of the woods?

I think I’d assume Mia was My-ah / uh

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Mia is always Mee-a in my experience.

See also Mila which is Mee-la not My-la

Yet Milo is My-lo!

PerkyMintDeer · 28/07/2024 22:17

Maya = M-eye-uh (eye as in eyeball or the letter I)

I've taught 1000s of kids and young adults now and never met a May-a. I like it the way I've suggested it. May-a sounds exactly like Mayor in my (RP) accent which is off putting to me.

DragonFly98 · 28/07/2024 22:11

Sparklyhat · 28/07/2024 20:57

Fire pronounced fi-yeh with 2 syllables. Do you pronounce fire with 1 syllable?
This thread has opened my eyes, I genuinely didn't think anyone would say may-ah to rhyme with player (also with mayor) so I stand corrected (Yorkshire accent if that means anything)

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Yes because "my a" and " play a."

Postcodelott · 28/07/2024 22:05

Mayor doesn't rhyme with player @Sparklyhat it's a homophone for Mare

qwertyasdfgzxcv · 28/07/2024 21:42

My uh

Sparklyhat · 28/07/2024 20:57

Soakinguptherays · 28/07/2024 20:30

Confused by the rhyming with fire, so ‘mire’? One syllable?

Fire pronounced fi-yeh with 2 syllables. Do you pronounce fire with 1 syllable?
This thread has opened my eyes, I genuinely didn't think anyone would say may-ah to rhyme with player (also with mayor) so I stand corrected (Yorkshire accent if that means anything)

JimNast · 28/07/2024 20:52

@Soakinguptherays . fire is 2-syllables usually. Like Fie-uh
fire
[ˈfʌɪə]

Soakinguptherays · 28/07/2024 20:30

Confused by the rhyming with fire, so ‘mire’? One syllable?

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 28/07/2024 20:03

Walkthelakes · 28/07/2024 19:32

I have a Maya pronounced May-ah. I knew when I named her it there were pronunciation issues but I loved that it was an international name with lots of different meanings and pronunciations. I think of My-ah as thr asian way as Maya in Sanskrit means illusion. I named her after Maya/Maia the Roman goddess of spring and new beginnings. She does get a mix when first starting classes etc but ur quickly settles down to the right pronunciation. I don’t mind that but it wouldn’t be the right name for you if they would bother you

Yep to me I first think of Maya/Maia as the Goddess of Spring (the May Queen/Goddess) so the “May-ah” pronunciation is the one that makes the most sense to me and that I personally prefer the sound of. But others will think of Maya Angelou, or the ancient Mayan people and will automatically say “My-ah” . I think in the UK you’ll get 50:50 both pronunciations but internationally it’s generally the “My-ah” one. I agree with those who said it’s like Helena, Naomi, Andrea etc - more than one pronunciation here is the norm so you have to ask.

Maiapapaya · 28/07/2024 19:56

@acrossthebay the correct pronunciation for Maya is rhyming with papaya or My-uh/My-ah, depending on accent.

It is a very old name, originally from Sanskrit (the ancient Indian language). It means 'an illusion'. Maya would always be pronounced My-uh or similar in India.
It also has Persian and Arabic roots and means 'water' in Arabic and is pronounced just the same as the Indian version.
There is also the ancient Mayan civilisation of Central America, also pronounced My-ahn.

The Maia is a Goddess in Greek mythology and, I think Roman. It is also pronounced My-uh.
Maja is the spelling used in Eastern Europe and is also pronounced My-uh.

My-a is a made up spelling, rather than an old one.

The May-ah pronunciation is, as far as I know, entirely made up by English speakers who see that word 'May' and just assume that Maya is pronounced the same but that is incorrect, in terms of the origins of the name.

ClaudiaWrinklemum · 28/07/2024 19:55

Jemimapinotduck · 28/07/2024 13:31

Maya- may-uh
Mia- me-uh
Mya- my-uh

I came on to say exactly this.

Mintypig · 28/07/2024 19:53

My ah

RightOnTheEdge · 28/07/2024 19:52

Maelil01 · 28/07/2024 12:18

How on earth could Maya rhyme with player?
-er isn’t pronounced the same as -a!

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Maya, pronounced May-a, and player rhyme when I say them.
May-uh
Play-uh

MadameMassiveSalad · 28/07/2024 19:52

Rhymes with Fire.🔥

Fontainebleau007 · 28/07/2024 19:51

May-a

Jennyathemall · 28/07/2024 19:50

acrossthebay · 28/07/2024 12:06

Yeah I’d have said Maya rhyming with player too but I’ve heard the rhyming with fire one too.

Yup my daughter has two toy meerkats called Maya and Maya, each pronounced differently as above.

ThePoshUns · 28/07/2024 19:46

My-uh

TwigletsAndRadishes · 28/07/2024 19:40

My-a

Walkthelakes · 28/07/2024 19:39

Just to add I have no regrets of calling her Maya. I still love the name for all the same reasons and she has grown up to be such a lovely girl—the name suits her. She’s full
of flowers and sunlight and easy going

Apollo365 · 28/07/2024 19:38

Maya is May-uh
Mya is - My-uh

Walkthelakes · 28/07/2024 19:32

I have a Maya pronounced May-ah. I knew when I named her it there were pronunciation issues but I loved that it was an international name with lots of different meanings and pronunciations. I think of My-ah as thr asian way as Maya in Sanskrit means illusion. I named her after Maya/Maia the Roman goddess of spring and new beginnings. She does get a mix when first starting classes etc but ur quickly settles down to the right pronunciation. I don’t mind that but it wouldn’t be the right name for you if they would bother you

Maelil01 · 28/07/2024 19:24

WhatHoJeeves · 28/07/2024 12:31

How do the endings of player and Maya pronounced my-uh not sound the same? Honest question as they sound the same to me when I say them!

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I’d have thought this was a joke but a couple of people have informed my that some English people are unable to pronounce “-er”.
For the rest of us the r is very clearly sounded!
Put it into an online dictionary that says the words and see if you can hear the difference!

Maelil01 · 28/07/2024 19:20

TheYearOfSmallThings · 28/07/2024 12:32

Many English people don't (can't?) say r at the end of a word, so player is "playah" and fire is "fie-ah". I used to consider it a speech defect but I have got used to it since coming here from Ireland and being told that water should be pronounced "wauh-tah" (no thank you).

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That’s very odd!

ginasevern · 28/07/2024 17:55

I'd pronounce as Maya Jama does - so My-a. I believe it's of Indian origin.

Crazycat53 · 28/07/2024 17:42

May a